Do you have to label AI-generated ads? Meta, TikTok, YouTube, EU and UK rules

AI adverts are now normal, and so are the rules about saying so. They differ by platform and by country, and most of them only bite when an advert looks real: a person who never said the line, or an event that never happened.

This is a summary of the official rules as they stood on 19 October 2026, quoted from each platform's or regulator's own page. It is not legal advice; check the linked page before a campaign, because these rules change often.

Key takeaways

• TikTok: realistic AI content in an ad must be disclosed with the AIGC label or your own clear disclaimer, or the ad is rejected or restricted.
• Meta: disclosure is required for political and social-issue ads that show realistic AI people or events; realistic AI video in organic posts may get an "AI info" label.
• YouTube: creators must disclose realistic synthetic content in YouTube Studio; Google Ads requires it on election ads.
• EU: from 2 August 2026, deepfake content must be disclosed under Article 50 of the AI Act.
• UK: no blanket legal requirement, but a misleading AI advert still breaks the CAP Code.

At a glance

TikTok

TikTok's ads policy on misleading content allows significantly edited media and AI-generated content "if the following requirements are met: Apply the AIGC label, or by adding a clear disclaimer, caption, watermark, or sticker of your own." It then warns: "If we identify AI-generated content that has not been disclosed, your ad will be rejected or restricted." The switch in Ads Manager reads "This ad contains AI-generated content" (how to add disclaimers).

For organic posts, TikTok's Community Guidelines say: "we require creators to label AI-generated or significantly edited content that shows realistic-looking scenes or people", and "Unlabeled content may be removed, restricted, or labeled by our team". Spark ads, which boost organic posts, follow the Community Guidelines.

Meta: Facebook and Instagram

For ads about social issues, elections or politics, Meta's AI disclosure policy says advertisers "must still disclose when ads about social issues, elections or politics use AI to create or edit photorealistic images, videos or realistic audio that depicts: A real person saying or doing something that they didn't. A realistic, alleged event that isn't a true recording." It adds: "Disclosure is not required for immaterial AI uses (e.g. resizing, colour correction)."

For organic content, Meta's help page says it "may require an AI label when content has photorealistic video or realistic-sounding audio that was digitally created, modified or altered, including with AI. This requirement does not apply to images."

YouTube and Google Ads

YouTube's creator rule says: "Creators must disclose GenAI content that: Makes a real person appear to say or do something they didn't do. Alters footage of a real event or place. Generates a realistic scene that didn't actually occur. Creates music that's the main focus of the video." You disclose it with the "AI use" setting in YouTube Studio.

Google Ads' political content policy says: "Advertisers must disclose all election ads that contain synthetic or digitally altered content by selecting the checkbox in the "Altered or synthetic content" section in their campaign settings."

The EU AI Act, Article 50

The AI Act's Article 50 sets two duties. Providers of AI systems must make outputs "marked in a machine-readable format and detectable as artificially generated or manipulated". Deployers, the businesses that publish the content, must disclose deepfakes: "Deployers of an AI system that generates or manipulates image, audio or video content constituting a deep fake, shall disclose that the content has been artificially generated or manipulated" (the Act). The disclosure must be given "in a clear and distinguishable manner at the latest at the time of the first interaction or exposure".

The European Commission's Article 50 FAQ says: "Article 50 of the AI Act applies as from 2 August 2026", and names an advertising company as an example of a deployer.

The UK

The ASA's guidance on AI in advertising says: "There is no blanket legal requirement in the UK to disclose the use of AI in ads", and "our existing rules apply regardless of how content is generated, edited, or targeted." Its note on deepfakes warns that if an AI-generated celebrity "endorsement" looks real enough to mislead consumers, it is likely breaching the Code.

The government's report on copyright and AI says there are no obligations in the UK for AI-generated content to be labelled. A UK brand selling into the EU, or running TikTok ads, still meets the rules above.

Content Credentials (C2PA)

C2PA "provides an open technical standard for publishers, creators and consumers to establish the origin and edits of digital content. It's called Content Credentials". It is the machine-readable kind of marking the EU expects from providers.

A simple routine for AI adverts

1. Ask the realism question. Does the advert show a real person saying or doing something they didn't, or a realistic event that didn't happen? If yes, label it everywhere.
2. Use the platform's own switch where there is one (TikTok's AIGC toggle, YouTube's AI use setting, Meta's disclosure for political and social-issue ads).
3. Keep a visible line for EU audiences from 2 August 2026, such as "Made with AI".
4. Never fake an endorsement. No made-up customers, celebrities or reviews, AI or not.

Every film Reigniter makes carries a written AI-generated notice in its file information, on every plan, so the record travels with the video. See real examples or start free.